Make Gourmet Doughnuts in 30 minutes with this easy recipe. Using a can of biscuits as a base, these Apple Pie Donuts are decadently sweet, with a tangy creamy cheese frosting and lots of caramel!
You can’t go wrong with caramel and apples. This Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake is another breakfast treat to add to your rotation.
Breakfast or Dessert
Some might call doughnuts topped with caramel, frosting and peanuts a little over the top. I call them perfection. If you’re going to eat doughnuts, you might as well go all in, right?
These Apple Pie Doughnuts are inspired by doughnuts sold by a well known donut shop in Austin, Texas. Only these are made with refrigerated biscuits and ready in just 30 minutes.
Buttery, rich, and soft, these apple pie pastries are a perfect special occasion breakfast. With all that caramel sauce and cream cheese frosting, they’re an obvious choice for dessert too.
One bite of these incredible apple doughnuts and you’ll understand why I became obsessed!
Ingredient Notes
- Pillsbury Grand Biscuits. These get super big and puffy when fried, making them ideal for doughnuts.
- Cream cheese frosting. The frosting here is based on my favorite Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe, made by beating cream cheese with butter and powdered sugar.
- Apples. Any variety of apples will work! I like to use a combination of sweet and tart ones like Honeycrisp and Fuji.
- Caramel sauce. Any bottled or jarred caramel ice cream topping will taste delicious drizzled on your finished doughnuts.
- Peanuts. I recommend salted, dry-roasted peanuts to complement the sweetness of the caramel.
Tips and Tricks
- In a hurry? Use canned apple pie filling instead of making it from scratch.
- Give the biscuits a more doughnut-like appearance by poking a hole in the center with a 1-inch circular cookie cutter. I used a cannoli tube!
- Fry the biscuits for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until they’re golden brown and puffy.
- While the doughnuts are cooling, make the apple pie filling and frosting. By the time they’re done the doughnuts will be ready for frosting and topping!
Recipe FAQs
No deep fryer needed for this recipe! These apple pie doughnuts are fried on the stove top. Any large skillet with a heavy bottom and rimmed sides will work.
The amount of oil you need for frying doughnuts depends on the size of your pan. Add enough to cover the bottom of the pan with about a half inch of oil.
Baking these apple pie doughnuts won’t produce the same results. They’ll taste more like sweet biscuits than true doughnuts. Still delicious if that’s what you’re going for. If you’re looking for a baked donut recipe, try my Apple Cider Donuts or these Pumpkin Streusel Donuts.
Fried doughnuts are best served fresh the same day they are made. You can make the cream frosting and apple pie filling in advance and store them in the refrigerator until ready to use. Then all you have to do is pop open the biscuits, fry ’em up and add the caramel apple toppings. Quick and easy!
More Apple Recipes
- Apple Crumble Recipe
- Apple Pie Poke Cake
- Easy Apple Blondies
- Applesauce Recipe
- Apple Hand Pies
- Butter Pecan Apple Skillet Cake
Apple Pie Doughnuts
Ingredients
For the Doughnut:
- 1 package Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
- vegetable oil for frying
For the Frosting:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounce cream cheese softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
For the Apple Pie Filling:
- 1 ½ cup sliced apples
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch of nutmeg
- ¾ cup water
For the garnish:
- ¼ cup caramel ice cream topping
- ½ cup dry roasted peanuts salted
Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil about 1/2-3/4 inch high. Depending on your size skillet will determine how much oil is necessary. Bring oil to a sizzle when you drop a couple drops of water into it.
- Separate biscuits and using a one inch circle cutter (I used a cannoli tube) pop center hole out of each biscuit so it resembles a donut. Fry each biscuit for 2-3 minutes each side. Allow to cool and dry on paper towels.
- While donuts are cooling, prepare apple pie filling (or use jarred/canned to save time). In a small saucepan, bring sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and water to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add apple slices (or diced) and reduce heat to simmer.
- Cover and simmer for about 6-8 minutes, until apples are fork tender. Remove from heat and cool.
- For the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and milk and beat an additional 3-5 minutes.
- To assemble, frost cooled doughnut with cream cheese frosting. Top with cooled apple pie filling, peanuts and caramel sauce (divide evenly among the 8 doughnuts). ENJOY.
Notes
- For a quick substitution, swap out the homemade apple pie filling for canned pie filling.
- Give the biscuits a more doughnut-like appearance by poking a hole in the center with a 1-inch circular cookie cutter. I used a cannoli tube!
- Fry the biscuits for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until they're golden brown and puffy.
- While the doughnuts are cooling, make the apple pie filling and frosting. By the time they're done the doughnuts will be ready for frosting and topping!
Nutrition
Caramel apple doughnuts are easy to make in 30 minutes! Delicious for breakfast, dessert or anytime of day.
Oh my gosh, this was one of my favorites! Love, love, LOVED it. You nailed it, Aimee!
This is literally dessert for breakfast! These sound absolutely amazing and I should not be reading 10 posts about donuts before I even eat breakfast.
Come back. It’s dinner time 🙂
Cream cheese frosting? And doughnuts?? And CARAMEL??? I’m down!!
These look absolutely incredible! I just had my first taste of Gourdoughs last month and I am hooked!
Well, apple pie doughnuts. You know how much I love that! I wish I’d tried this one too. Gah. A trip back to Austen might be in order… 😉
*Austin. Haven’t had my coffee yet. 😉
I’ll take a dozen, please.
So puffy and gorgeous!!
These donuts are EPIC!
Ha… another amazing looking copy cat donut!! I think this one wins. What could be better than an apple pie donut? Great pictures, you have captured the sinfulness of these donuts.
Thanks so much, they definitely are sinfully delicious 🙂
Cream cheese on top of a donut! Love it! This is a great twist if you want to serve single apple pies to guest!
You are a genius. Where were you when I was writing this post?? great idea, and so true too. These are a perfect single serve apple pie dessert!
Ha, another amazing looking copy cat donut!! I think this one wins. What could be better than an apple pie donut? Great pictures, you have captured the sinfulness of these donuts.
These look gorgeous Aimee! Way to hit the nail on the head!
These look amazing!! So glad I got to finally meet you even if it was just for seconds! Austin was so fun, can we go back now?
oh my gosh!! That looks amazing!
these look amazing, i love the idea of combining apple pie and doughnuts!
I am loving the way they look! All that apple – just dripping off. Mmmm, reminds me of apple hand pies I used to eat as a kid, but wayyy better!
Thank you Averie! They were even more delicious than they look. Although, I need a knife and fork to eat them 🙂
Seriously think I need these in my life! Going to have to make these for the family
It cut off my comment 🙁 The last part was that they look awesome 🙂
Thanks christina!
I think I may be disappointed by any other doughnut i ever eat. Ever. I want these NOW!
Haha! So true!!
I have never craved a donut so early in the day like now!!
I feel the same way today! So many great recipes in the round up!
These are gorgeous! That frosting!!